(1) Field of the Invention
The current invention relates to a device capable of electrically controlling buoyancy.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Undersea distributed sensor systems require a miniaturization of platforms and a means of both spatial and temporal persistence. One aspect of this system is the necessity to modulate depth for optimal positioning, station-keeping and as a means of communicating data among and between deployed systems.
In engineering applications, most buoyancy control is performed using an air/liquid chamber. In submarines, air tanks are filled with sea water for sinking and refilled with the pressurized air to float. The density of the submarine changes as the mass is altered at constant volume. Buoyancy compensator devices used by divers inflate and deflate bags of air, manipulating density by volume increase at constant mass. It is also known to use electrolysis to generate hydrogen and oxygen gas which replace the water in a gas chamber resulting in increased buoyancy.
Each of these approaches has deficiencies when applied to miniaturized and low-power systems. Gas displacement and air bag systems require gas storage and utilize an expendable resource. Electrolysis systems consume too much power.